Andrew
I can reassure you. It is the minor injury component of the service that is
nurse provided and led by a consultant who could be a nurse consultant or
medically qualified consultant. This minor injury service could be one
stream within the A&E department or it could be the stand alone minor injury
service. Stand alone services will however be part of a local emergency care
network to integrate all the emergency healthcare provision in an area.
There are still important issues to settle, such as defining what is the
minimum training of an ENP.
For those who have not had time to read the document key elements are
summarised at the end of this mail.
When the more detailed document is published in a couple of weeks, you will
see that the strategy does not go for a "one size fits all" approach but
recognises the need for local solutions based around national standards. The
next phase is to set these standards, which will be a process performed
jointly by DoH and the professional bodies.
I would be very pleased to get peoples comments on the document either via
the list or direct to me. These will then be fed in to the implementation
process.
Matthew
From: Dr Matthew Cooke
A&E Advisor, Winter and Emergency Services Team, Dept of Health, UK
REFORMING EMERGENCY CARE - HEADLINES
183 additional A&E consultant posts as part of NHS plan allocation
New funding for 600 extra A&E nurses
£50m to fund extra capacity with aim of reducing bed occupancy
Decrease delayed discharges (£300m announced couople of weeks ago)
600 extra acute specialty consultant posts as part of NHS plan allocation
to enable consultants to be free of other duties when on take
Improved out of hours doiagnostics
Streaming of minor injuries ( commonly called fast tracking)
Testing of the new decision support systems in 25 A&E departments
Adoption of new ways of working e.g. with increased roles for nurses and
paramedics
Development of emergency care networks to co-ordiante local provision of
emergency care
|